A Better Sense of Feeling
by CleverMonkey
Summary: GrimmHime. After having his way with her, nothing seems to make any sense. Rating will be for second chapter.
1. Preface

**A/N: Okay, so this one started out as more of a rape PWP story line ... then after a moment of enlightenment, a whole story fell out. When I thought of it, I was jumping around just thinking of it; I hope I do it justice ... and I hope it isn't just me who likes this crackish plot. If so, I'm still happy. :D**

**For those of who don't like the whole sexual abuse side of fanfiction, you're not gonna like most of the second chapter. Really sorry, and I felt awful being so mean to Orihime, even though you know she likes it. But after that chapter, it gets better. When I say angst, it's Kitty angst ... whilst trying to keep him in character lol. And it's not Grimmy-converting-from-the-dark-side angst, it's funnier.**

**Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing. I'm not sure what the reaction to this one will be so please drop your comments. Again, sorry about being so cruel to Hime. **

**Disclaimer: As you can tell, I don't own these characters or anything linked to Bleach, please worship Tite Kubo for his brilliant gift, if you don't already do so. And of course, no one would pay me to write this shit**!

A Better Sense of Feeling

Chapter One: Preface

The auras that hung around some of these creatures terrified her. Her ability to sense their possible powers was even more horrifying. Since her return from the Soul Society after that first adventure, Orihime had been able to see others' potential strengths, or to at least have a feeling of them. As time went by, this talent only focused.

It saddened her to know that Tatsuki would not be able to stay out of the fights soon to come, even if she wanted to avoid them: her spiritual pressure would always attract hollows. But Orihime was somewhat glad that Tatsuki would be able to defend herself.

When Ulquiorra and Yammy had appeared from the crater in Karakura town, their potential energies astounded her, chilled her. Ulquiorra's ultimate strength seemed a little unstable, but was on another level to Yammy's further capacity. The latter's awesome power, however, seemed ready to explode and annihilate everything in any second.

Even in comparison to Ulquiorra's complex might, when the Hollow within Kurosaki ruled the fifteen year old, Ichigo's entire strength pattern changed. The potential that lied before the bleached version of her friend scared her more than anyone's.

In her captivity, Orihime became used to first analysing the Arrancar's possibilities and how prominent they could be. She soon understood the great difference between an Arrancar's power and its Resurrecćion, and similarly the differences in psyches; it seemed as if their Resurrecćions had completely different minds: more instinctual but more passionate.

The stages of the Soul Reaper's powers seemed to emanate from their swords; Inoue assumed the levels were their Shikai and Bankai. Aizen, however, had the potential to suddenly increase his already uniquely strong spiritual pressure: Orihime realised that this was probably his ultimate goal for the throne.

It was when studying one certain Espada that Orihime faced confusion for the first time since discovering her powers. She had a fairly accurate idea of the Sexta's Resurrecćion, but his potential gain of power fluctuated occasionally. The human could tell how strong the Sixth Espada's release form was, but there was something beyond that, only from time to time; almost as if, under the right circumstances, Grimmjow could exceed that level. And that other level of strength was unlike anything Orihime had seen before.

However, the Arrancar seemed to have no clue of this power; Orihime wondered what would trigger such an apocalypse.


	2. Too Good to be True

**Disclaimer: As you can tell, I don't own these characters or anything linked to Bleach, please worship Tite Kubo for his brilliant gift, if you don't already do so. And of course, no one would pay me to write this shit!**

A Better Sense of Feeling

Chapter Two: Too Good to be True

So what, she'd given him his arm back, big deal. He'd admit she kinda helped him with the whole Sexta Espada issue, but he'd have done that eventually. So why the fuck did she expect anything but shoving whenever she smiled his way? She obviously thought she'd granted him a massive favour, and for that he was her friend.

Good luck with that, bitch.

He would say he treated her like any other being in this wreck they called a palace, i.e. he swore at her and shoved her around and maybe kicked her down the stairs. But in reality, he treated her a bit better: she didn't have a whole through her stomach and all her limbs were still attached.

But a lack of visible permanent damage did not mean that he liked her!

He'd make her scared of him, damn it; he'd make her die of fear whenever she saw him.

Crap. There she was again, at the end of the hallway, waving like a tit. He'd rip that arm off one day.

Her face dropped when Grimmjow once again just glowered at her, as though she still expected him to smile back and wave like a retard. That pissed him off even more. Mentally rolling his eyes, Grimmjow aimed a cero at the ceiling above her, laughing at her pitiful shriek as gravity brought the rubble down. Shame that her Shun Shun Rika was prepared even if she wasn't.

The Sixth Espada heard the human girl audibly 'humph' as she climbed over the debris, sulking as she fled the wreckage less than gracefully.

The arrival of the Fourth Espada dampened his spirits, however.

"Inoue still head of the fan club then, Sexta?" Ulquiorra knew exactly what strings to pull to aggravate the Arrancar.

"It ain't a fuckin' fan club. It's just one deranged little bint that doesn't know when to friggin' quit!" Grimmjow retorted angrily as he jumped the ruins. Some lesser Hollow would clear that up.

"I'll put her in her fuckin' place," The Sexta muttered, more to himself than his superior. He'd make sure that the girl feared him more than anything else; that every time they were in the same room, she'd be begging for her life.

The more walls that became dented when her body made impact with them after he hit her, the less frequent their meetings became. As the number of bruises around her neck when he slammed her body high against the wall increased, those pathetic glances and waves decreased respectively.

Grimmjow thought Orihime had finally got it into her thick skull that the more that she had to do with him, the more she got hurt. But then the ditsy girl smiled at him – just another innocent, faint smile – and he was pretty sure he broke a couple of ribs then. Good.

After she healed herself, the red head raised her vision, but instead of the upmost fear that he deserved, she had the nerve to smile sadly and walk away.

Didn't she get it? He was the most destructive Espada in Las Noches. She'd damn well better get it, and Grimmjow planned to educate her very soon.

He gave her a head start, let her reach the safety of her cell, and then he stalked the lengths of the hallways until he too approached the door. No thought needed, he kicked the entrance in and strode across the room to where the human stood in the pale moonlight.

Orihime had turned to face him when he entered, but she had no time to smile before his strong hand was around her neck, suspending her without a wall's support.

"Don't tell me ya thought I'd come to talk to ya? That I came here for anything that you'd like? How fuckin' naive." His angry smirk suddenly petrified the girl, making her ash eyes glimmer magnificently.

"Ah, so ya finally caught on, eh? Scared, huh? Well that's too fuckin' late, princess." The Espada threw her fragile body across the chamber onto the dingy bed, immediately pinning her small form with his much stronger own. The terror that burned in her pleading grey gaze merely added fuel to his fire, releasing the smouldering desire to ravage.

She whimpered pointlessly beneath him, weak hands trying to block his sturdy limbs' paths. She couldn't do anything to prevent her clothes from being ripped to unidentifiable shreds while the Arrancar bit and damaged her porcelain skin. He grew tired with her intervening hands as they tried to conceal her figure from his heated gaze; he tied her wrists to the head of the bed with the black obi that once hung at her hips.

Orihime closed her eyes while still attempting to struggle under the powerful Espada, but she couldn't prepare herself. She could feel his rough tongue sliding all over her in the wrong places, sharp canines piercing her sensitive flesh, abrasive hands working her weak spots over and over.

Inoue couldn't stop the screams from escaping her throat any more than she could halt the man above her. She understood he wanted her pain, and shrieking as such only egged him on. His hungry mouth attacked her neck, biting and sucking until the white column glowed red. His rushed hands swept over her naked body, scratching in their wake until they teased her upper thighs with tantalising raking fingers.

Grimmjow, satisfied that her neck was as raw as it would get, abandoned the crimson flesh as he lowered his head to her heaving chest. Grinning devilishly at her perfect white mounds, he abruptly sank his teeth into her left breast, earning another beautiful scream.

As much distaste she held for herself for being unable to restrain her pleading yells, Orihime was overwhelmed with self loathing when a keen moan broke through her throat. She felt his manic smirk against the skin of her breast, his raspy tongue torturing her sensitised nipple.

Hands that had been clawing at her legs separated her limbs as the Espada knelt in between, one hand finding her opening. He held her still with the spare hand as his searching fingers delved in between her moist folds, eliciting lustrous whimpers from her writhing body.

Lifting his head, Grimmjow saw the fear and upmost hate in her molten silver pools. He mentally celebrated knowing all her trepidation was aimed at him, and at least part of the anger was too. He gifted her with a toothy grin as he freed himself from his hakamas, knowing the girl pinned beneath him was fully aware of his upcoming actions.

He already desperately desired to feel her tight heat around him, but after watching her eyes light up with total panic, he readied himself more hastily. He didn't give her a chance to scream; her voice caught in her throat when she felt the destructive pain bleach her vision, splitting her in half.

Orihime was given no time to adjust to his excruciating intrusion and he paid no heed to her pleads to stop. She squirmed under his forceful thrusts and she clenched her hands tightly around the metal bars they were fixed to. The burning friction remained agonising while the Hollow above her only attacked her more powerfully.

It was criminal how utterly delicious the begging girl under him looked; and the immense pleasure her tight heat around him caused was equally scandalous. Her terrified expression told him he was grinning like a madman; it felt so too. The Espada couldn't get enough of the bliss his body experienced with every millimetre of flesh he felt.

"I know you're enjoying this just as much as me, bitch," Grimmjow commented suddenly. "Well maybe not that much, but enough so you can wipe that victimised expression off your face."

Her eyes sprung open in defiance; had the circumstances been different, Orihime would have scoffed at his assumption.

"Think I'm wrong huh? Tell me then, why did ya moan for me earlier? And why the fuck are ya so wet?" Her sudden blush made his skin burn, the tint in her cheeks making her more irresistible.

"Slow down, please," Orihime didn't expect her voice to be heard, her throat held little power now.

"Not a chance, bitch." Grimmjow retorted immediately, naturally speeding up to the girl's dismay.

Knowing she wanted his torment to stop, Grimmjow of course only wanted to make this continue forever. That and because he hadn't felt pleasure like this in ... well ever; Orihime was the most resistant yet pleasurable girl he'd ever fucked.

He looked directly at her, aware that his intense blue stare scared her more so; the Arrancar watched as the human's features creased as convulsions suddenly warped her form. He could feel the vibrations swim through her denying body as pleasure overcame her struggles and her impossibly tight core gripped him unbelievably.

Despite the wrong waves of pleasure ripping through her body, Orihime did not miss the unexpected overwhelmed expression on the Hollow's face, as though something caught him off guard. His following snarl confirmed that.

Damn it, the bitch nearly made him fuckin' lose it! He was bloody enjoying it and he didn't want it to end so soon. He gripped her body harder and pulled her hips up to meet his frantic thrusting, knowing the hurt ripping through her would be greater than even the first intrusion.

He'd expected a peak in her screams, wide eyes closing in pain, but instead her body wrapped itself around him tighter. Grimmjow knew the girl wasn't coming again, she was just unnaturally tensing around his member; so much it almost hurt, almost.

"Fuckin' relax," He ordered roughly, his voice gruff as he tried to control the reactions his body wanted to give.

When she only gripped his length tighter, he bit down on her neck, needing _something _to alleviate a portion of the tension. His teeth did nothing to stop her vice-grip on him though.

"I said fuckin' relax, bitch!" His hand wrapped around her throat threateningly but the girl did not obey. When he felt her vocal chords try to vibrate under his palm, he loosened his hold on her.

"I can't!" The girl's fearful honesty rung in his ears. He couldn't really hold her responsible, but he did. He pound into her harder and a more animalistic control began to take over. He didn't want to be done with her; he was having way too much fun with the girl, but damn it, he didn't have much choice in the matter. All the time Orihime's body wouldn't relax, his lost more and more control.

Her form began quivering in the throes of another orgasm which just made Grimmjow's goal less reachable. He didn't want her to get off so easy, but he sure as hell wasn't gonna slow down on her.

"Fuck!" He growled into her neck, his nails cutting into her sides. Something clicked in the back of his mind, and before he was blown away, he reached to the side of the bed and clasped his sword from where it had landed when he had removed his obi.

She didn't hear him say it, but she felt him mouth the words against her neck, _'Grind Pantera'_. The human's eyes shot open in fear, her senses screaming at her to get away, however impossible escape was.

Even whilst undergoing his transformation, Grimmjow knew it changed everything. As though opening his eyes after centuries asleep, everything was clearer.

Silver orbs struck in fear could only stare in awe of the being above her. As the shock subsided, the immense pain from earlier trebled. Her screams increased tenfold and the Arrancar simply smirked in bliss at her reaction.

"Fuckin' hell," The curse hissed through his teeth. Orihime centred her gaze on Grimmjow's features, an expression that held amazement. His eyes closed contentedly and Orihime thought for a minute that he was purring.

"Shoulda done this _years_ ago," He muttered to himself.

The pain was unbearable; he was faster and so much stronger in his resurrecćion form. Although she thought it was futile, Orihime tried to control her body as it had done so before, to force her pain to end sooner.

As appreciative as he was of the new sensations as she purposefully tightened her body around him, Grimmjow knew he didn't have to worry this time.

"No way, girl, your luck's out." Tilting forward again, Grimmjow returned his attentions to her neck, biting and sucking her red flesh before approaching her ear. Giving a less than gentle nip to the lobe, he growled huskily against the shell. "I'm faster and I'm stronger. My stamina will keep up for _hours_." He felt her shudder against his skin, and he relished in it.

He lifted himself from her body again, assessing the differences. As he focused on each and every aspect, he understood that nothing was comparable to fuckin' this amazingly tight woman in his released state. Everything was better.

"You have no clue as to how good this fuckin' feels," Cerulean eyes dropped to her shocked grey ones; she missed none of the pleasure behind his stare. "I knew I could see better, hear better, smell better," He bent his head down and licked a sensuous line from her right breast to her ear. "But it turns out I can taste you so much better like this." Inoue's body shivered again and he didn't even try to restrain his loud pleasured groan. "But, fuckin' hell, I can feel everything so much better!"

His manic thrusting continued wildly as he forced the girl under him through countless convulsions; she couldn't deny herself the incredible pleasure he elicited from her. The Espada lifted the girl's legs apart, gaining a deeper angle and relishing in her louder moans and screams. Her hips bucked against his while she wrapped her legs around his waist, creating more delicious friction.

In the back of her head, she wondered if he'd ever stop; if he'd ever grow tired of this. But these thoughts had no opportunity to reach the forefront of her mind: shockwave after shockwave of wickedly climatic bliss left no room for anything beside the constant agony.

However, even in this much stronger state, the ripples of pleasure built up, and eventually Grimmjow's thrusts became erratic, the pressure caused by the girl's body doubling by the second. If the approach to nirvana was this mind blowing though, the thought of the finale had his eyes rolling right around.

Pounding deeper and deeper, he gripped Orihime's hips tightly, feeling the blood gather from where his claws easily cut her skin. Her body suddenly tensed and her core squeezed him tighter than ever before and Grimmjow couldn't fight off the roar as he came hard inside of her, exploding everything he had forcefully.

He remained still for ... it could have been years for all he cared; he couldn't think, he could barely move as he panted for breath. At some point, he reverted to his normal form and later rolled off the girl beneath him. He paid no attention to the just-conscious human beside him, only grinning when he remembered why he came here in the first place.

There was no way she'd ever look at him without utter fear ruling her body; she'd avoid him at all costs. He'd petrified the girl into hating him, and made a couple of discoveries along the way.

Sighing with well deserved achievement, Grimmjow fell asleep, completely oblivious as the consequences of his actions took effect.

Grimmjow woke up groggily, as per normal, and then ran a hand through his unruly teal hair. Smirking, he remembered his previous night and looked to his side to the sleeping human.

Sudden and immense pain shot through him as he looked at the girl, nearly knocking him out cold. It felt like he'd been stabbed, millions of times; worse actually. He glared accusingly at the dormant weakling next to him, forcing himself to remain conscious despite the pain.

For some reason, seeing Orihime blue and purple from deep bruises, bloodied from a number of cuts and still breathing weakly – all because of him – caused something deep inside of him to howl in pain. He should have known it was all too fuckin' good to be true.


	3. Broken

**Disclaimer: As you can tell, I don't own these characters or anything linked to Bleach, please worship Tite Kubo for his brilliant gift, if you don't already do so. And of course, no one would pay me to write this shit!**

A Better Sense of Feeling

Chapter Three: Broken

He'd left pretty quickly; the pain ebbed as he put some distance between him and the girl. Although the head-splitting migraine dissipated, along with the throbbing in his limbs, the deadening ache in his chest only subsided slightly.

He didn't understand what was going on, and the longer Grimmjow pondered on it, the more confused he became. But that was what training rooms were for. Eventually, he wouldn't be able to tell his muscles' strain from ... well whatever the fuck that was.

There wasn't a part of Orihime's body that didn't ache when she finally came to. Her legs refused to move and her shoulders throbbed unbelievably. Her wrists were still fixed to the bars. Bruises were nothing; the sheets clung to several places where the blood had stuck to the material.

She must have dozed off again, because the next thing Inoue knew, Ulquiorra was leaning over her, freeing her arms. The Espada left the obi upon the edge of the bed before silently exiting the room, leaving the girl's breakfast tray waiting impatiently by the door.

Easing herself onto numb limbs, Orihime dragged her body to the small bathroom; she kept the bed sheet wrapped around her body, clinging to a corner of the fabric. The faint ripping sensation stung as she peeled the fabric from her skin, but the steaming hot shower that followed burnt away the pricks.

Though the washcloth offended her skin, she couldn't scrub herself firm enough. The cracked blood flaked from her skin; open cuts left rivers of red down her torso and legs but eventually they ceased to flow. However, the purple and yellow bruises only became clearer.

Pushing the shower curtain aside, Orihime stepped onto the slippery tile before wiping a clear streak on the steamed mirror. She didn't recognise the figure that looked back. Of course, Orihime had been tired before, but her eyes had never looked so sunken, and her skin had always had held _some_ form of colour. The discolourations upon her neck stood out against her snowy pallor; a heavier mark appeared on her left collar bone, the visible teeth indentations made her shudder.

Orihime bowed her head and whispered her command to conjure her Shun Shun Rika; within minutes each bruise faded to white and every cut healed. Seeing the visible alterations, Orihime felt slightly better but when she looked back to her reflection, one mark still remained. The distinct bite mark upon her collar bone had not weakened at all; if anything, the lack of surrounding imperfections made it more noticeable.

The girl raised her healing dome again in another attempt to erase the damage, this time focusing on the point fully; but her efforts were futile. The more energy she gave her task, the clearer it seemed to become.

Sighing with frustration, Orihime dressed herself carefully, wanting to prolong the departure of her safe bathroom and its reassuring scent. Although Orihime was physically fine now, she still felt uneasy; as she sat to eat her breakfast the girl often gave her room paranoid glances and she could not stop fidgeting as she waited for Ulquiorra to return.

Orihime looked ominously at her door. The fact that she expected Ulquiorra to enter eventually made her feel less comfortable, knowing that the entrance was unlocked for anyone. Would _he_ come back? _Why does this feel like the worst is not yet over?_

Not tired but sufficiently distracted, Grimmjow had spent the majority of his day working his body beyond reason. However, while walking the halls after a shower without a diversion, he noticed a dull void in the back of his mind, the kind you'd get when you feel like you should be doing something, but Grimmjow never even got that when he went out of his way to disregard Aizen's orders.

Lacking a distraction, he couldn't ignore it. His mind became restless and Grimmjow found it impossible to do nothing. What the fuck was going on? The Espada's head raced and eventually it crossed something that set off a reaction: the human girl had worked her way to the forefront of his mind, but this time the memory of her simple smile relaxed him somewhat.

His thoughts thinned out and the Arrancar found a strange peace while thinking of her; what the hell did that mean? Did he still want her? Grimmjow's thoughts headed towards the gutter; visions of his previous night flashed before his eyes and he felt a fire light inside of him. Hell yeah, he still wanted the girl; he wanted her more than ever. Just imagining that pleasured look on Orihime's face was enough to cause the burning desire to become painful.

But then he remembered her pained expression. All desire fizzled away instantly as agony suddenly washed over his body again. Muscles refused to cooperate as the Hollow panted for breath, surrendering to an overwhelming crushing that tore open that void. Grimmjow managed to stagger back to his room before collapsing on his bed, despising the absolute ache that tore through his chest. The tortuous longing that clouded his brain left little room to contemplate.

He tried to clear his head and the less he pictured that pathetic, desperate expression, the easier it became to remain conscious. Nonetheless, the pain didn't completely fade. Deciding he could manage it for a while, Grimmjow stood and made to get on with some of his duties; no way was he going to let himself get bored like that again if he could help it.

Grimmjow must have looked extremely agitated – more than normal – as nearly every other being he crossed paths with gave him a very wide birth; the ones that actually got in his way quickly become nothing more than dust.

It was after about an hour when he felt it, the weak but apparently very distinct reiatsu that had him advancing like a magnet instantly. His pace quickened as Grimmjow got closer and closer but when he reached the opposite end of the hallway where she stood, the Arrancar just stood still, watching her.

She hadn't noticed him but just seeing her at the end of the corridor was like a breath of fresh air. The girl probably felt another's presence as she turned to face him; Orihime's features had originally held happiness, and possibly tiredness. But when she realised who it was, Grimmjow could see her face drop and her body begin to shake.

He could see the fear flood her entire being and it brought all the pain back and then some. He found himself hating that expression; he needed her to not fear him. He began to approach her but she just backed away. Grimmjow couldn't look at her; he averted his gaze, replacing it with anything but the look of dread in her silver eyes. He clenched his fists, wincing when he heard her sharp gasp of terror.

The Sexta looked at her again, irrationally hopeful but still crushed when he was met with her panic. He couldn't take it, so before he did something really stupid or pass out, or both, Grimmjow stormed back to his quarters; this time the pain didn't fade as he distanced himself.

Orihime remained petrified in that hallway for several minutes, perfectly motionless. She'd been so careful to try to avoid the man but he still found her, he still tormented her. She'd never seen him look so angry and just picturing the way he looked at her chilled her impossibly.

But that hesitation, what did that mean? Grimmjow had seemed like he was deciding whether or not to do something, something that didn't have a happy ending for Orihime. She hoped with all her might that he'd chosen against it. She hoped that he would leave her be.

The human continued her journey to the eastern sector of the fortress having been summoned by Aizen – he almost certainly wanted her to heal some other Arrancar again – extremely anxious to evade any high spiritual pressure.

Grimmjow figured he'd passed out seeing as it was doubtful he would chose to fall asleep on the floor just inside his room. He blinked several times, rubbing the back of his throbbing head while ignoring the now dull stinging. He was exhausted though; he was starting to realise there were several wants in his head and keeping up with the constant internal argument exploited most of his energy.

The Espada pulled himself to his feet only to instantly make his way to the bed; he had no intention of trying to stay awake. Maybe his mind would clear after he got some sleep. Grimmjow fell asleep within minutes, but the Arrancar was already discovering the worst side effect of whatever was happening to him.

_Delicate hands crept over his burning skin, soothing every aching muscle. Grimmjow's eyes remained closed as warm lips met his in a tentative kiss while a weight seated itself on his lap. He felt her legs rest on either side of his hips and her hands slithered up his chest before easing his jacket away from his shoulders._

_He sat up slightly and the garment was discarded; searching hands were replaced with her wet tongue as it traced a sensuous line down his throat and collar and beyond while her hands gently pushed his shoulders so he would lie down again. He hissed when she brushed over a nipple and his breathing accelerated as she continued further south._

_It wasn't long before the auburn haired human had removed the obstruction that his hakamas had offered, and her tongue licked and caressed him beyond his original idea of pleasure. He couldn't get enough of her attentions; he couldn't get enough of her._

_She lifted her head and he looked to her face, her silver eyes filled with her lust and ... devotion. He needed to kiss her, to show her the same passion._

_He was about to say something, something that couldn't be left unsaid, but her gentle fingertips upon his lips prevented him from doing so. As Orihime leant towards him, an accumulation of emotions overwhelming him and as she placed her tender kiss upon his lips, his dream faded away._

Grimmjow peeled his eyes open and slowly adjusted to the darkness. He noticed his hands gripped his sheets tightly and his forehead was moist with sweat; that and he had an aching hard-on that demanded his attention. He hadn't needed to resort to self-service for a while now, but he figured that it was all he had at the moment.

He sat up a bit and cut right to the chase; the longer the Espada ignored his cock the more painful it became. He gripped his member roughly and his thoughts instantly centralised on the human girl and his very vivid dream.

He didn't even need ten minutes of forceful pumping before his movements became uneven and his breathing sporadic. Grimmjow bit back a moan as he came on his hand, enjoying the sensation of satisfaction for the following moments. However, the Arrancar only had a few minutes of peace before the sickening longing arose again.

Grimmjow remembered that feeling from his dream, the certainty he had felt when he realised he needed her. He didn't understand why or to what extent, but damn it, Grimmjow needed the girl. How long did he have before that miserable pain would return?

The Hollow dragged himself out of bed and abandoned his room in search of the human. Seeing that each hall was empty, save for him, Grimmjow deduced the rest of the fortress's inhabitants had retired for the night; that meant Orihime was definitely in her room.

When he reached her door, he wasted minutes deciding whether or not to knock. Choosing against the idea, Grimmjow nudged the door open and entered the room silently. He hadn't even noticed the dull ache in his body until he felt every muscle relax just in the presence of the girl.

Although he was still tired, smelling her sweet scent removed all exhaustion and just hearing her beating heart and her shallow and sleepy breathing filled a void. Grimmjow moved towards the bed slowly but impatiently, but as soon as he saw her dormant and affectionate smile, he realised going to her room was a mistake: there was no way he could just walk out now.

Although only moments passed, several hours could have rolled by while Grimmjow just stared at the girl's relaxed expression. Why could she never look happy around him? Without his say-so, the Espada's arm lifted and his hand found its way to Orihime's cheek; the moment his skin touched hers, he felt something awake inside of him.

As long as she was there, he was happy. Grimmjow sat at the side of the girl's bed with his back against the mattress and leaned his head back; he was perfectly content to remain in her presence for as long as possible. He vaguely remembered her hand falling off the side of the bed, at first brushing his shoulder before settling above his head, her fingers tangling in his cerulean hair. The girl created an aura of total peace.

But of course, it was too good to last.

Orihime sat up sleepily after spending several minutes dozing in and out of slumber. She hated waking up without the sun's friendly light and every morning she prolonged having to open her eyes. Finally, she lifted her sleep-heavy lids and squinted around her room. Her gaze fell to the side of the bed and the girl was suddenly fully awake.

She jumped back, away from the Espada beside her bed, grabbing her hand back in fear. Her abrupt movements must have disturbed the Arrancar as he turned to face her, tiredness angering his expression.

In her terrified state, Inoue missed Grimmjow's confused appearance evolve to a look of pain. She misread the agony in his eyes for agitation and the girl couldn't control the petrified tears that fell down her cheeks.

The intruder stood while his blue stare never left her face; Orihime flinched when his hand moved towards her and when he opened his mouth to talk, she couldn't take it; she wouldn't let this Hollow hurt her anymore.

"What do you want? You've already done enough! Why can't you just leave me alone?" Orihime screamed, unable to restrain her sobs. She closed her eyes and cried into her blankets, waiting for whatever was to come. When she felt nothing, Orihime tentatively lifted her head, sighing in relief when she realised she was alone again.

Grimmjow didn't even notice the repeated waves of Aizen's spiritual pressure as the Shinigami grew more and more annoyed with the Sexta's absence from the gathering of Espada. Grimmjow comprehended nothing beyond the empty yet excruciating torment that burned in his veins. He couldn't even think; his mind replayed a constant loop, repeating the girl's outbreak nonstop.

He knew that she was the key: the human held the answer to his every basic desire and he knew her body called his like no other had before; despite what he was, just Orihime's presence was enough to engulf him in tranquillity; yet, she could eliminate everything he had and replace it all with a torture beyond words with just a look.

What the hell was so important about her? She was just a human; a weak, pathetic human! The more Grimmjow attempted to reason with himself, the greater the opposition became. His more instinctual side seemed to have an answer for everything and now it appeared to have become obsessed with the girl.

He couldn't understand why it needed her so much, why he had to put up with its pain. After wanting the girl to hate and fear him so much, why the fuck did achieving this feel like death?

Wishing the pain would numb his body eventually, Grimmjow gave in to the more basic conscience within, relinquishing all feeling to the agonising longing the animal inside howled with.

After waiting for over half an hour for the Sexta Espada to not appear, Aizen had sent his Fourth to investigate the unruly Arrancar's whereabouts. Ulquiorra had managed to contain his expression of 'Why me?' but as he walked the hallways, he wasn't too far off exasperation.

He picked up the Sixth's reiatsu but was surprised to notice it was Grimmjow's Resurrecćion. _What the hell is that idiot doing?_ He followed the spiritual pressure to find the aforementioned Espada sitting on the roof of one of the training rooms, not at all concerned about his approach.

"Have you no intention of attending the meeting, Sexta?" Ulquiorra demanded. The Released Arrancar inclined his head down despite already knowing who it was.

"Che, whatever, Cifer." Grimmjow replied without making a move. He remained motionless even after the Cuatro used his Sonido to appear before him.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Sexta?" The Sixth didn't miss the distaste that dripped from his superior's voice. He stood quicker than Ulquiorra could see, signifying his faster flash-step but only to glare down at the shorter Arrancar.

Ulquiorra could easily see the pain in Pantera's eyes, the desperation left unchecked. Although he didn't understand what it was, the fourth knew that Grimmjow knew even less. He nearly scoffed at that. "Pathetic."

Grimmjow didn't hang around to watch Ulquiorra walk away, he disappeared within seconds.


	4. Nothing Conclusive

**Disclaimer: As you can tell, I don't own these characters or anything linked to Bleach, please worship Tite Kubo for his brilliant gift, if you don't already do so. And of course, no one would pay me to write this shit!**

A Better Sense of Feeling

Chapter Four: Nothing Conclusive

_She lay sleeping on his bed, wrapped up in the warm sheets, protecting her otherwise bare form from the cold. With every shallow breath, she exhaled a soft sigh- completely oblivious to his presence. The Arrancar gave in and approached his bed, crawling next to her above the sheets, trying and failing not to disturb her. The girl stirred at Grimmjow's intrusion and his sensitive ears noted her confused mumblings stifled by her long yawn._

"_Grimmjow?" Orihime rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she turned to her side. Finally looking at him, she wondered why he appeared so amused. She didn't know how cute – stupid too, but still cute – she was when waking up._

_The Espada assumed she had no intention of waking fully so he let her pull him down so she could return to slumber. Grimmjow expected her to rest on his chest and resume snoring quietly but was surprised when she left a tantalising trail of soft kisses along his jaw line to his ear while carefully touching the other cheek's mask fragment._

_When he tilted her head up to claim her lips with his own, she shifted her body so she sat on his thighs. The Hollow opened his eyes soon enough to catch her coy smile as she pressed herself against him; he couldn't help but grip her waist tightly and pull her form close to his chest, slipping his eager tongue into her welcoming mouth._

_The human pulled away for air before licking a slow path across his cheek to his ear, placing soft pecks in her wake. "Touch me," Blue eyes flew open at her hiss while her mouth continued paying his ear careful attention._

_Grimmjow didn't need to be told twice. Hands that previously held her heated body against his now slipped across her stomach and up to her full cleavage pressing against his chest. He wasted no time and instantly stroked her twin nipples with his thumbs, gently caressing the pale mounds in his hands._

_Her pleasured gasp reminded him of how aroused he was and he instinctively pushed his hips against hers, groaning at the surrounding warmth hindered only by his hakamas. He felt his heart rate increase as Orihime's hand dragged from his neck, down his torso towards the barrier between them._

_The direct eye contact between azure and ash only heightened the anticipation but Grimmjow couldn't keep his eyes open when her confident hand wrapped itself around him. He felt her body move above him slightly while she rearranged his hakamas; his lids remained closed while he waited for her exquisite heat to envelop him..._

The dreams were getting worse ... or better depending on your point of view. Although each vision became more and more intimate, they always faded away just too soon; always leaving him wanting_ much _more.

He groaned in frustration, knowing he wasn't going to be getting back to sleep any time soon, not if he just ignored the need in his hakamas. For the third night in a row after waking from such teasing dreams, he wrapped his hand around his erection, roughly pleasuring himself to distant memories of visions and reality. He forced himself to release, gasping for breath in the wake of tranquillity, knowing it wouldn't last.

The sense of calm Grimmjow felt immediately after self satisfaction seemed to last less and less, either leading to immense frustration or mind-numbing pain.

The Espada hadn't seen the girl since ... that time. He didn't think he'd be able to take another outburst like that, or simply seeing the fear in her eyes. So Grimmjow tried to avoid her, much like she was most likely doing to him. That didn't stop him from needing her, however.

Grimmjow figured that the longer he spent away from her, the greater the ache became. Without the girl's calming presence, the throbbing magnified at an exponential rate.

Knowing this didn't make it any fuckin' easier, though.

He needed to be near to her, but every time the Espada got close, she retreated in fear. He wasn't sure what would have been worse: staying clear of her in a silent downhill spiral or feeling the brief moments of calm followed by torture.

After several miserable days, Grimmjow couldn't bring himself to continue the former; the desire was too great; a desire which just grew and grew with every passing night.

She hadn't seen him in a few days and the changes within her were noticeable. Orihime had become less weary and had reverted back to confidently venturing around the halls but without paying much attention to her surroundings. But it took more than a falling down couple of flights of stairs to dampen her spirits.

Other residents noticed that her curiosity had once again returned and often found her roaming the corridors unaccompanied. Two pairs of eyes watched her from a distance occasionally, the light pink pair filled with hate but the green pair merely judgemental.

Loly was determined to find out what was so special about the princess but all she had seen so far was that the human was incredibly clumsy and apparently stupid. The Arrancar gritted her teeth, just thinking of the way Aizen-sama looked at her, as though there was something exceptional about her.

Menoly edged away from her partner ever so slightly, feeling the seething spiritual pressure emanate from her. She knew exactly how crushed Loly had felt when Aizen had spoken down to her, treated her like a servant – Loly had forgotten over time that that was all she was to him. Menoly knew Orihime had simply reminded Aizen of that fact but Loly held the prisoner entirely responsible for the way Aizen had acted towards her.

They followed her closely, always a just a corridor or two behind her, and Loly snickered about how pathetic the girl was that she didn't even notice them. They scanned the immediate area for other reiatsus and when they found none, Loly indicated to close in on their prey.

_I'm gonna fuckin' rip her hair out! _The black-haired Numero was about to turn the corner to the hallway where Orihime stood but a sudden strong grip on her shoulder halted her run.

Loly turned around scathingly, but her complexion paled when she saw that is was the Sexta Espada grinning down at her, his hand still locked around her shoulder.

"Wha ... where did you come from?" She spluttered desperately as she tried to free herself unsuccessfully.

"Che, it's pretty pathetic that you didn't even notice me, huh?" Grimmjow scoffed, throwing her previous remark back at her. He tossed her arm, hard enough to cause her to fly to the floor, before kicking her back along the corridor. He gave the other half of the duo a threatening glare, laughing as he watched the blonde Arrancar scamper after her twin.

After the girls had put as much distance between them and the Sixth Espada as possible in two seconds, Grimmjow examined the spiritual pressure around him, realising that the human had also left. Despite the empty pain that coursed through his veins, the Arrancar realised he could ease at least a portion of that agony by keeping her_ somewhat _safe.

She had felt the two reiatsus following her for some time now, but Orihime ignored them seeing no need to run from them. It was obvious one of them despised her and Orihime could see that her heart was laced with jealousy, but she had no idea why.

They had decided to advance, but Inoue gave no signs to being aware of it: if she couldn't cope with the bullies of Las Noches, she didn't have much hope of surviving anything else, did she?

She was ready to find out just what they had against her but then she felt the spiritual pressure that she had managed to forget about. He was irritated, and pretty excited about it. Orihime darted to the end of the hallway, only just feeling the two inferior Arrancars' presences flee in fear.

She kept running, not paying any attention to where she was going but suddenly felt the floor drop from beneath her feet. The girl fell momentarily before landing one or two stories below the corridor, in one of the older hallways beneath the new ones. She looked up the vent, not even seeing any ladders on the side while she tried to stand.

Her left ankle gave as she tried to put weight on it; evidently she had sprained her ankle when she landed none too gracefully._ They could at least put barriers up there. _With that thought, Orihime realised that she probably still would have fallen down even if they'd put neon sign posts up. She healed her ankle quickly while trying to think of how to get out.

Orihime was just about to turn into the underground corridor to find a vent that actually had a ladder on it when she heard someone call down.

"Oi, y'alright girl?" Orihime looked up, instantly recognising the azure hair of the Espada she'd been running from. Her eyes flew open in fear and the distance caused her to completely miss the concern in his blue eyes.

"I'm fine," she bit back, hoping he'd leave her alone.

"Need any help?" Orihime frowned at that, totally bemused as to why he of all people would offer her assistance.

"No, I'm fine," she repeated curtly. She turned to investigate the main tunnel but two hands on her waist stopped her. Grimmjow had flash-stepped down to the girl's level, with every intention of returning her to high ground before she found some of the Hollows he knew lurked within the older passages. Orihime gasped in shock but before she could turn around, Grimmjow had placed her back on the ground floor and was already walking away.

The girl didn't stick around to stare after him, and after deciding against catching up with him just to tell him to leave her alone, Orihime turned to head back to her chamber.

It turned out that keeping the girl at arm's length whilst trying to keep her alive wasn't as easy as you'd think, as two day's worth of trying proved. She was constantly getting into trouble and Grimmjow couldn't stop worrying. _Wait, worrying? What the fuck? _Even if she wouldn't talk to him, for some reason his more instinctive persona needed to keep her alive.

It didn't look like he was going to figure that out any time soon and so – for once – he decided to actually carry out an order from Aizen to sort out one of the colonies of Adjuchas that thought Aizen didn't notice their resistance.

When killing things and fighting was all you lived for, living wasn't particularly trying. But now it seemed that his animalistic nature – the conscience of Pantera – wanted more. The Espada destroyed without taking any interest, he didn't even notice the total massacre of the Hollows around him.

When he returned, Grimmjow knew he wasn't really going to get anywhere with a confrontation with the consciousness of his Released state. Hell, he didn't even know it had a bloody mind of its own before all of this happened, he just didn't think when he released his sword.

Picking out the girl's reiatsu had become second nature to him now and when he realised it was pretty close to another Espada's, Grimmjow headed in their direction, knowing exactly who was with her.

She had turned her face from him, unable to stop him but refusing to look at the Arrancar towering over her. Grimmjow watched as Nnoitra dragged a pale hand down her cheek while his other rested on her hip, moving closer to her while she backed into the wall of the hallway.

He didn't think twice, completely disregarding his rank; he punched him in the side, sending him flying. Grimmjow didn't see what Nnoitra saw, the hints of a much greater spiritual pressure, he just didn't question why the Fifth left without retaliating.

Grimmjow turned to look at the girl, lifting her chin to see if Nnoitra had left any marks and before he knew it, their eyes met, immobilising him and terrifying her.

"A 'thanks' would be nice, girl," Grimmjow eventually muttered, tearing his cyan eyes from hers.

"What?" Orihime demanded exasperatedly. Before the Espada could respond, however, she continued. "Do you honestly want thanks?" When he merely frowned at her, Inoue couldn't stop herself. "It just reminds me that no one stopped you."

She didn't cry; there was nothing to cry about anymore, the girl just stormed past the Arrancar, anger flooding her senses.

Ulquiorra waited silently for the scientist to emerge from his laboratory. The white door opened but Szayel didn't step out, instead he walked back into the workshop without looking at the Fourth.

"You might as well come in, Ulquiorra. This isn't going to be quick." The Octava invited as he sat back down at his work station while Ulquiorra entered.

"Did you find anything significant, Grantz?" The green-eyed Espada demanded flatly.

"Yes." Szayel replied seriously. He selected a document and flicked to the summary before handing it to his superior. "I performed extensive research and although it is uncommon, the occurrence which you mentioned does happen."

"And what were the results?" Ulquiorra asked while he scanned the file quickly.

"Well, you see," the pink-haired Arrancar began rummaging through the stack of papers absently while Ulquiorra waited for him to continue.

"What?" The smaller Espada insisted.

"The tests were inconclusive," as he said this, a light rouge tinted the honey-eyed Hollow's cheeks, embarrassed to admit he had no answers.

The dark-haired Espada continued to read the file, seeing the scientist's print become illegible as irritation disrupted his writing. "What do you mean, 'inconclusive'?"

"There were results, yes, but no consistency." Szayel explained, as if he'd been telling himself the same over and over again. "And I couldn't examine anything stronger than the lowest levels of Arrancar, let alone anything I could compare to an Espada."

Ulquiorra stared at the Eighth silently, before eventually asking, "Can anything be established from your data?"

It was plain to see that Szayel was insulted. He turned back to his pile of documents, trying to remind himself that this was the only failure against thousands of successes.

"Yes, there is something," Szayel eventually responded curtly. "Every specimen experienced some form of increase in spiritual pressure eventually. I'm not certain of the biological or psychiatric cause of this or how long it takes – the reaction time for each example differed greatly."

"Is there any way to establish how strong the subject will become?" Ulquiorra asked, masking his mild trepidation.

"No." Szayel took the document back from Ulquiorra to turn to one of the many graphs drawn from his research. "I marked the percentage of reiatsu against initial levels and there was no correlation."

Ulquiorra nodded; the scatter graph may have well been left for spiders to crawl over it for all the good it was.

"What is your theory, Ulquiorra?" Szayel asked curiously.

"The girl; it's all to do with the girl," Ulquiorra's muttered response surprised Szayel.

"You suspect she is the cause?" The Octava questioned; his eyes wide.

"Yes. But I suspect nothing more. Until now, I was unaware that the psyche of a Resurrecćion could separate from the Arrancar's." Ulquiorra replied evenly.

"It is an odd phenomenon, I'll admit. I was aware of it; in fact, I'd assume that the mind of every Arrancar's released state differs at least somewhat from that of the Arrancar. The oddity arises when the two consciences finally unite again."

Ulquiorra stared at the scientist, hiding the shock he felt. Realising he'd learned as much as he would, the Cuatro stood to leave.

"I'll conduct some more tests, Ulquiorra, and I'll inform you if I discover anything new." Szayel assured as he placed the file of his experiments back on his desk.

"Thank you, Grantz. Do you remember what I said the other day?" Ulquiorra enquired threateningly.

"To not inform another being in the fortress? Including Aizen? Yes, I think I remember." The Eighth replied sarcastically as the Fourth left the laboratory.

Ulquiorra headed towards his own chambers, thinking over everything he had learnt today and everything he had noticed previously. Just as the Octava had found nothing conclusive, Ulquiorra could only establish that the Sexta Espada would have to be monitored very closely.


	5. The Chill

**Disclaimer: As you can tell, I don't own these characters or anything linked to Bleach, please worship Tite Kubo for his brilliant gift, if you don't already do so. And of course, no one would pay me to write this shit!**

A Better Sense of Feeling

Chapter Five: The Chill

The air was colder than normal when Orihime woke, and, for the first time since arriving, she noticed how empty and spacious the cell was, magnifying the chill in the air. She had never paid particular attention to the temperature of Las Noches, but now that she thought about it, she'd just always felt comfortable. So why on earth was it so cold now? She was already beginning to see her breath in the air.

When she emerged from her steamy shower room, having taken the time to soak in a piping hot bath, Ulquiorra was already present with her breakfast. Orihime smiled as she saw the vapour rise from her miso soup and steamed rice, keen for something warm. Ulquiorra watched motionlessly as the girl ate her hot meal quickly before gulping down her tea, surprised at her eagerness.

"Why is it so cold, Ulquiorra-sama?" She asked after draining her cup, already starting to shiver.

"Hueco Mundo also experiences seasons, girl," the Espada explained as the Arrancar that pushed the breakfast trolley exited silently. "Aizen-sama requires your presence in an hour." He ordered before leaving. Orihime frowned as she tried to work out what the Shinigami would need of her now.

An hour and a half later, the girl exited the Soul Reaper's room. He'd offered her tea and encouraged her to share anything she wanted about her stay at Las Noches. Inoue wondered if the man knew something about what had happened nearly two weeks ago but he didn't prompt her further when she denied his invitation to share.

Orihime's teeth chattered as she left Aizen's chambers and she hugged her shoulders tightly, trying to remain as warm as possible but only feeling the temperature drop. She headed back to her rooms, hoping to find some extra layers to wear beneath her uniform, but two nearby reiatsus halted her progress.

Loly and Menoly were around the next corner, waiting for her but Orihime wasn't going to stop. She continued confidently, knowing they thought they would catch her off guard. Inoue had prepared herself before she turned into the hallway so Loly was surprised when the girl had defended herself against her Cero.

"Wha ... when did you raise that barrier?" Loly demanded in shock. The human ignored the Arrancar's question and kept walking forward, noticing that the two females backed away slightly from her approach, wary of the talents the girl held that they didn't understand.

"Just what is it that you want from me?" Orihime asked when she had covered half the distance between them, curious to know where their hate originated from.

Loly's shock melted away, dissipating to leave behind only resentment as she watched the human try to act so innocent. "I'm gonna teach you a lesson!"

Menoly remained motionless while her partner ran forward, fist raised ready to hit the girl. Her green eyes flew open in shock when the yellow barrier blocked Loly's attack completely, while the auburn-haired girl didn't even flinch as she held her ground.

"I see," Orihime commented quietly, still oblivious to the source of their distaste. She continued to head back to her room, brushing past the dark-haired Arrancar slightly before lowering her Shun Shun Rikka.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, bitch?" Loly yelled after her retreating form, chasing after her. Without the barrier surrounding the girl, Loly was able to grab onto her shoulder before punching her cheek, causing the human to fall back against the wall.

"Tsubaki," Orihime whispered as she called her only offensive weapon forward, ignoring the abrasion to her face as she stood boldly. "Koten Zanshun, I reject!" Orihime declared, seeing Loly's eyes widen as she sensed Tsubaki's approach.

Tsubaki hit her with enough force to send her flying back to where her partner stood, leaving a ragged slash across her abdomen. Hoping the girls would leave her be from now on, Orihime withdrew Tsubaki before turning to leave again.

"Just who the hell do you think you are?" Orihime stopped to look back at the duo, seeing Menoly stand before an injured Loly, arm outstretched in a protective manner. The human evaluated the usually calmer spiritual pressure of the pair, and when she realised what power the blonde girl held, Orihime quickly raised her hands, ready to summon all six of her Shun Shun Rikka.

Evidently, Inoue wasn't quick enough and Menoly used her Sonido to materialise before her, an out of control Cero charging in her palm, raised to Orihime's left hand. Grey eyes flew wide in fear and, unable to do anything to stop it, Orihime could only watch as the red explosion obliterated the hand.

Menoly stood back, realising she had taken things too far in her anger, but before she could run, a strong grip around her neck and threw her back to where Loly stood; they didn't stick around.

Grimmjow held onto the girl's shoulders, supporting her shocked body as she hyperventilated in panic. Blood dripped uncontrollably from her arm but the Espada's gaze never left her face.

"Heal yourself, girl," He said carefully, unsure if she was actually listening.

"It ... it hurts," Orihime choked, tears rushing silently down her cheeks.

"I know, but you can stop it. Now heal yourself, just like you healed me." He ordered, holding her chin so she met his gaze. If there was something worse than seeing fear in those silver eyes, it was seeing pain, and it was torture just to see the agony the grey pools displayed.

"Souten Kisshun," she whispered, causing Ayame and Shunou to hover around her wrist. "I reject." Her hand reformed and she when she was sure that it was exactly as before, she met his stare again. The Espada's eyes held concern and Orihime frowned in confusion, wondering why he worried for her. She was about to question his actions, but something behind him, beyond the walls of the fortress, caught her attention.

Grimmjow was about to leave after seeing the girl's glare, knowing an onslaught would ensue, but then her eyes suddenly softened and the Arrancar allowed her to stand and approach the window.

Orihime stared in wonder at the tiny flakes falling gradually in the night and when she peered through the barred window, she saw a thick layer of white covering the sand of the desert.

"Snow," she whispered in amazement at the simplicity of the substance. She couldn't help but smile.

The Sexta looked through the window to see the white powdery stuff falling to the ground, but was more interested in the girl's reaction. He stood next to her and was surprised to see she turned to him, her expression only holding contentment. He didn't understand what made her so happy when only a second ago she'd been beyond horrified, but he definitely preferred her current state. She returned her vision to gaze into the night and she raised her hand to the gap between the bars, an appearance of longing written in her eyes.

"You wanna go out there?" Grimmjow suddenly asked, suspecting what she wanted.

She whipped around to stare at him, marvelling at his offer. "Seriously?" She eventually asked.

He smirked before he grabbed hold of her wrist, thankful that she didn't try to brush him off before leading her through several halls. Eventually, he pushed a heavier door open to reveal one of the many courtyards of Las Noches and the girl gasped at the beauty of the clearing caked in snow.

He released her arm, expecting her to dash into the enclosed area but Grimmjow was surprised when Orihime in turn grabbed his wrist and dragged him with her.

She stopped in the centre of the large square, adoring the feeling of the soft flakes falling around her and let go of the man to turn on the spot, catching millions of flecks on her outstretched arms. Orihime saw the Espada move to walk away, only to look up and around him, his inquisitive features evidence to his curiosity. She smiled, realising he had no clue what was so special about snow.

While his back was turned, Orihime quickly gathered a large fistful of snow in her hands, compressing the wet ball for one purpose. She lobbed the snowball at the oblivious Arrancar and giggled fitfully when it hit him on the back of the neck. Her laughter ceased when he turned his head to look at her, a familiar look of excitement in his blue eyes. She didn't know what to expect but the freezing cold fistful of snow down the back of her neck wasn't it. Orihime spun around to stare up at a laughing Grimmjow, his eyes not violent, just amused.

The Arrancar allowed her to put some distance between them, not that it served her any better in avoiding his volley of snowballs. After that initial hit, Orihime could not hope to overcome his reflexes.

"No fair!" The girl gave into frustration and used her shield to prevent the Arrancar's projectiles.

He didn't know what he was feeling, or what his other ego was experiencing either, all Grimmjow knew was that when making her smile, making her laugh, he was simply content. Seeing that they'd reached a stale mate, he approached her again, stopping before her puzzled form to brush the water droplets from her hair.

Seizing the opportunity, Orihime reached up to plant her last snowball on the top of his head, effectively soaking his blue hair. She giggled again and, before she could run for it as she intended, he grabbed her waist with both hands, holding her still while he tickled her ribs. The girl squirmed in the Arrancar's hold, edging back in an attempt to free herself, before she tripped over her own feet, pulling the Espada down with her. She gasped for breath between laughs while the Hollow above her tortured her sensitive sides endlessly.

Panting for air, Orihime suddenly stilled, abruptly realising what position they were in. The girl's entire presence altered as she filled with trepidation and Grimmjow immediately stopped, quickly moving to sit at her side. She remained awkwardly motionless for a few minutes before raising her arms to her head, proceeding to circle them down to her sides, clearing the snow in their wake. The human repeated this several times and eventually moved her legs from side to side before standing up gracefully to admire her snow angel.

Grimmjow stood next to her, looking at the shape in the snow she had made while she began to shiver beside him. He turned his gaze back to her, seeing her rosy cheeks and chattering teeth.

"You wanna go back inside?" He asked, despite having enjoyed their time outside together thoroughly.

Orihime rubbed her hands together but shook her head; she was having far too much fun and wasn't sure how long it would snow for: she didn't want to waste it. She skipped back to the middle of the courtyard before kicking a clump of snow together. She gathered more lumps to form a large boulder of snow and began to collect more snow to create another large ball to continue her snowman but noticed her hands were pink with the cold.

Biting her lip, Orihime perched on the rock of snow and sat cross-legged before cupping her hands in front of her mouth, breathing into her palms and then rubbing her hands together.

"Ya want some tea?" Grimmjow offered from where he stood at the edge of the clearing. He didn't wait for an answer after seeing the girl's silver eyes light up at the prospect of a hot drink.

Orihime waited patiently on her boulder and whipped her head around when she heard a disturbance, expecting to see Grimmjow with her hot beverage. She tilted her head in confusion when she saw Ulquiorra approaching her, but then bowed her head with disappointment: she probably wasn't meant to be out here, especially on her own.

Ulquiorra stood in front of the human, his even expression conveying none of his thoughts. He had his suspicions but he needed confirmation before he returned to Szayel with his theory.

"As far as I am aware, humans are susceptible to illnesses from the cold," he stated flatly before placing the back of his fingers against a pink cheek, testing the temperature. Before she could speak, Ulquiorra dropped his hand, too fast for the girl to realise, and parted her collar infinitely quickly before zipping the garment closed again. Orihime looked to where his hand had been, her mystified expression telling him she hadn't noticed anything. "You should wrap up with layers next time."

Orihime, assuming her collar had simply come undone and he'd zipped it up to prevent her getting colder, watched the Fourth Espada leave the courtyard, meeting the Sixth in the hallway. Orihime watched through the window as Grimmjow backed the Cuatro against a wall, his stance obviously threatening. She saw the superior Espada shrug off the advance before Grimmjow entered the enclosed clearing, anger still prominently in his features.

"What was that about?" Orihime asked curtly, evidently surprising the Arrancar with her attitude.

"Just told him ta fucking keep his hands ta himself," he muttered back but before he could get near the girl, she had jumped from her position and stormed back into the fortress, her spiritual pressure flaring with anger.

"I'm glad you came to see me again, Ulquiorra. I was going to send for you," Szayel said as he allowed the Fourth into his laboratory.

"You have further answers?" Ulquiorra asked as he entered the workshop.

"Yes, after more study, many of the specimens' changes reversed spontaneously," the pink-haired Espada informed the dark-haired one, obviously pleased with this discovery.

"Reversed spontaneously?" Ulquiorra questioned, eyeing his colleague carefully.

"Yes, I don't know what caused it, but after taking some samples, I was able to synthetically stimulate the reversal process myself. The subjects that had still yet to undo the change have all returned to their original state after artificial motivation." Szayel explained proudly as he found the documentation of his experiment.

The smaller Espada read through the latest file before raising his head to the physician. "You created a drug to reverse the entire process?"

"Precisely," Szayel declared proudly. "Now, I presume you came here for a reason. Have you found something new?"

Ulquiorra showed the Octava exactly what he had found, the prominent indentations on the human's neck, confirmation to his previous theory.

"The girl has everything to do with it," Ulquiorra asserted after replacing his left eye.

Szayel didn't say anything, shock overwhelming the Arrancar before he looked the Fourth directly in the eye. "Are you positive that Grimmjow caused that?" He hissed eventually.

"Of course, why?" Ulquiorra asked evenly.

"Because that changes everything then!" Szayel declared before turning back to his station, riffling through the neat stack of files exasperatedly.

"What is it? Why does that change everything?" The Cuatro demanded.

"This is not something that can be reversed." Szayel explained bluntly before turning his chair to stare up at his superior directly. "You thought that this just confirmed an event that possibly initiated the alteration, correct?" Ulquiorra nodded affirmative so Szayel continued. "That is partially true. But what you have shown me tells me differently."

Szayel sighed before he stood and began to pace in the cleared area in the middle of the laboratory. He rested his forehead in his hand and appeared to search for the right words.

"This doesn't happen often. It seems to only occur in Arrancar with animalistic natures," Szayel began, his back still facing Ulquiorra. "Particularly canine and feline," he continued before walking towards the file cabinets. "It's still just a theory at the moment but I will contact you when I find confirmation, either way."

Ulquiorra took the hint and departed, leaving the fretful scientist alone in his laboratory, unsure as to what alerted the Octava so.

_He licked her stomach affectionately, smirking as she wriggled in reaction to the ticklish sensations, before he kissed his way up her chest, between her full breasts, nipping at her skin playfully. He caressed her shoulder with his tongue, brushing the reddish-brown locks behind her shoulder before progressing to kiss her lips, stroking the full appendages with his tongue, enticing them to part to allow his tongue entrance._

_Their tongues danced against each others' before he pulled away, letting her breath, to kiss down her chin to return to her throat. The Espada caressed her skin, licking one spot over and over again, paying extra attention to the mark that tied her to him, and him to her; connecting the very lives of an Arrancar and a human._

A/N: Ooooh things are getting interesting now :P! He can't seem to do anything right for her and what's Szayel on the verge of discovering. Drop your views!


	6. With or Without a Chance

**Disclaimer: As you can tell, I don't own these characters or anything linked to Bleach, please worship Tite Kubo for his brilliant gift, if you don't already do so. And of course, no one would pay me to write this shit!**

A Better Sense of Feeling

Chapter Six: With or Without a Chance

_Just who the heck does he think he is?_ Orihime couldn't make heads or tails out of Grimmjow's behaviour, nor could she forget what he had done. Who on earth was he to tell someone else to keep their hands off her?

She wanted to scream in frustration, to demand what the heck he was thinking while wanting to hit him at the same time as telling him to stay the heck away from her! Orihime held her head in both of her hands, trying and failing to calm her mind and only ending up nearly screaming through her hands.

_Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!_

A hot bath was in order. Her constant string of silent screams continued as she drew her steaming bath but as soon as she stepped into the scorching water, her muscles instantly relaxed along with her mind.

The next morning, Orihime was summoned along with the Espadas to Aizen's throne room; apparently, it was time for yet another update. The human sat between the defective Soul Reaper and the Fourth Espada and although she sat right next to the man, Inoue didn't pay much attention to the Shinigami's words.

Instead, she made a point of sitting closer to the Cuatro, smiling at him more frequently and even going as far to brush against him more often as she fidgeted. Ulquiorra only noticed the girl's odd behaviour when she leaned straight across him in reach of the tea pot to his left; having been listening to Aizen's every word beforehand. A dark brow rose minutely but otherwise, the Fourth remained completely unaffected.

Not so much could be said for the Sixth sitting opposite. He eyed the girl's actions constantly, watching as she shifted closer and closer to the oblivious Espada. _She might as well just fuckin' sit on him!_ Grimmjow seethed silently, wanting nothing more than to rip the bastard limb from limb but something in him, an annoyingly large part of him, became overwhelmingly jealous.

When the meeting drew to a close, Orihime stood silently and headed back to her cell, feeling two pairs of eyes follow her departure. Both Arrancars pursued her journey through the intricate maze of white hallways and it was Nnoitra that caught up with her first. Knowing that the other probably wasn't too far behind, Orihime stopped and turned to look up at the Fifth Espada, a flirtatious smile already in place.

"Che, Princess, ya left in a hurry. Aizen-sama wants ta speak with ya some more," the tall Arrancar said, not missing her coy attitude, or the way she had placed on hand on her hip, accenting her very feminine curves, or the way she placed her other hand on his chest.

"Care to escort me back?" She asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible. The Cinco couldn't restrain his smirk but the memory of last week's interruption caused him to pause. _Che, whatever. She ain't his or nothin'._

"We got some time before he wants ta see ya," the Hollow assured her, both hands finding her hips, totally restricting her. He felt her heart accelerate as fear ruled her emotions but he wasn't giving up now. "What? Changed yer mind, pet?"

Grimmjow had tried to keep some distance between the pair and him – otherwise he was going to turn into a stalker at this rate – but when he sensed her discomfort, he quickly closed the three hallways' length between them. How she'd acted around Ulquiorra and how she'd been with just Nnoitra moments ago were enough to frustrate the Sixth no end and by the time he reached the Fifth, he was ready to kill.

It only took one blow to render the distracted Espada unconscious and the convenient placing of a vent to the corridors below offered an ideal dumping ground for cataleptic form of the one-eyed Arrancar. Even after incapacitating Nnoitra, Grimmjow was still pissed beyond reason and he realised that it all rooted down to the girl. She was just going out of her way to flirt with them!

"Don't act like ya weren't askin' for it," he muttered, still with his back to her.

"Just go," Orihime bit back in response, self annoyance having washed away her fear. Without needing to be told twice, Grimmjow left her alone in the hall.

She hadn't really known what she was thinking; she'd just wanted to teach Grimmjow a lesson. He didn't have any right to go around 'saving' her from everything, acting like he was a big hero when he'd hurt her so much. But she couldn't deny the relief she felt whenever he showed up. Just minutes ago, she'd panicked when he hadn't burst around the corner as soon as the situation had gotten out of hand, terrified that Nnoitra might actually have a chance to do what he wanted with her, but he was there.

Orihime hated that it seemed like a part of her needed him, despised it so much that it hurt, but that didn't change it. She wished she could just reject the events from two weeks ago, start from scratch with him, but that was impossible.

The girl walked the final steps back to her room before she locked herself within its seclusion. Although she'd only woken one or two hours ago, Orihime pulled the covers back from her bed, shed her coat and crawled onto the soft mattress. She didn't know what to think; she couldn't forget what he'd done to her but she couldn't stop thinking about how she felt now. Where did she go from here?

_She rubbed her eyes as she blinked awake, aware that it was still very early in the morning despite the lack of change of the moon. Although she was still in need of several hours of sleep, Orihime felt wide awake so she rolled onto her side, wondering if her bed partner was also having a restless night._

_Relaxed eyelids hid his blue eyes from her but that didn't stop Orihime. She kissed his dormant lips gently before stroking his neck affectionately with delicate hands. They climbed into his hair while her mouth dropped to his neck, sucking on his pulse point, smiling as she felt the blood pump faster beneath her lips._

_One hand remained within the mess of blue hair while her other hand stroked down his neck and back before carefully tracing every indentation of his chest, outlining the Hollow hole in his abdomen and then dragging her hand slowly down. Her hand softly stroked his growing arousal through his hakamas and she smirked when she heard him groan appreciatively._

_He shifted slightly against her, forecasting his imminent awake but before he did, Orihime stopped touching him and turned away to rest her back against his chest as before, seemingly asleep._

_She grinned when she felt him sigh in frustration behind her, knowing he'd woken up aroused from a very realistic 'dream' and waited for him to ask her for 'help'. She felt him kiss her bare shoulder before he leaned over her to lick her throat while Orihime kept her eyes closed. One hand crept over her hip and stroked her stomach tenderly as his kisses approached her lips._

_Acting as though she had just woken up, the girl blinked groggily as she returned the Arrancar's kiss and gasped with pleasure when his hand found its way to her chest, caressing a breast gently and rubbing the darkened nipple carefully between his thumb and index finger._

_His mouth led away from her lips and kissed across her cheek to find her ear. He licked the shell slowly before he whispered teasingly against it. "Next time, don't leave me hangin'. I'd rather wake up with you in my lap than pretendin' to be asleep."_

She was breathing heavily when she woke up and the girl was glad it was mid afternoon and not morning, otherwise she would have had to explain to Ulquiorra why she had woken up panting for breath with such flushed skin. Orihime brushed her red hair out of her face before climbing out of the bed and heading towards her shower closet, needing to freshen up if she wanted to ever wake up properly.

Feeling immensely more alert than before, she wandered from her chambers, but stopped dead in her tracks almost instantly. Orihime suddenly remembered that Nnoitra had told her that Aizen had wanted to see her. Presuming that he hadn't merely just thought up some exotic excuse to talk to her, Orihime instantly hurried towards the Soul Reaper's quarters, hoping she hadn't been asleep for too many hours.

In her rush, the girl paid even less attention to her surroundings than normal and practically ran head first into the object of her dreams. Inoue raised her head from the chiselled chest that she remembered caressing so vividly to look at his expression, unable to control her mind's thoughts as they recalled licking his neck affectionately and running her hands through his cerulean hair.

Orihime bit her lip as she tried to stop her cheeks flushing but her attempts only embarrassed her further. Hey grey eyes met his frowning blue pair and she realised she must have looked pretty dumb if his confused expression was anything to go by. Reality suddenly caught up with her and Orihime quickly side-stepped the Espada and continued her journey towards Aizen's rooms.

_Oh God! What the heck was that?_ It felt like she knew him, and when their eyes had met, it was as if something a lot stronger had been said. Her heart still hadn't calmed down and Orihime didn't understand why she couldn't get the man out of her head. What was so important about him?

In contrast to her previously racing approach, Orihime dawdled through the hallways while her mind wandered back to the Sexta Espada.

She didn't understand him at all. Orihime wanted to know what he was thinking, what he wanted with her, and above all, she wanted to know why he acted like he did around her. A part of her believed that maybe he regretted what had happened, but a more reasonable portion of her head reminded her that that wasn't possible: he was just an Arrancar.

Inoue didn't notice it at first but eventually she felt the salty tear reach the corner of her mouth. She raised her hand to wipe the moisture from her cheek but before she could control it, an onslaught of tears ran down her face.

Why did it hurt so much that he didn't care? It was torture that even after what he'd done that he was still able to hurt her so much. Orihime couldn't let herself be fooled by an act of chivalry, no matter how genuine it seemed; it would only harm her more in the long run.

He didn't have a clue what on earth she had been thinking, but he knew that something had changed. Although she hadn't said anything, she might as well have opened her heart to him, and it felt like he understood her entire soul. Grimmjow couldn't stop it, he couldn't stop the feelings of hope spread through his core and he noticed that the dull void was completely at ease.

_She wasn't scared._

Pantera – that's what he was calling it now, no more of that 'alter ego' crap; he knew exactly what it was inside of his head now – was practically purring, being more aware of the girl's emotions. Grimmjow thought about the blush on her cheeks and the way she'd stared at his neck and he soon also had a pretty good idea of what had been running through her head at the time.

But before he let himself get excited over that thought, he felt her emotions completely shift. She wasn't in danger so Grimmjow remained rooted to the spot, trying to feel what was happening to her reiatsu, confusion encompassing him as he felt her spiritual pressure become riddled with despair.

It seemed Pantera's mood swings were as temperamental as his own; the animal within him had been so calm but now it burned the Espada from within, despising the girl's misery.

He was about to follow her and find out what was wrong, to try and get the howling in his chest to shut up, but her sadness seemed to disintegrate on its own accord. He decided to see if she really was alright, but a voice from the other end of the corridor stopped him.

"Oh Grimmjow," Ichimaru called in a sing-song tone.

"What d'ya want?" Grimmjow barked at the Soul Reaper. He wasn't looking for a fight but he wasn't going to pass one up against that damned fox face.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking. And how are you, Grimmjow?" Gin responded, his tone sarcastically affectionate.

"Are ya just gonna waist my fuckin' time, Shinigami?" The Arrancar demanded angrily as he advanced across the hallway.

"Because you have such a busy day planned, I'm sure." The silver-haired commander remarked mockingly. "Well it just got busier. You did such a fine job with that last colony that Aizen-sama requested that you do the same for all the others. There's a list of them in the throne room somewhere but I'm certain that you'll be able to find them all without any trouble."

Ichimaru left without another word while Grimmjow simply cursed Aizen silently.

He'd known there were millions of groups of rebellions surrounding the fortress, but none posed any kind of threat. Of course, occasionally one army would need to be taken care of if it seemed to grow too rapidly but apart from that, Aizen and the Espadas generally ignored their existence.

So why the fuck was he so worried about them now?

Grimmjow didn't linger to find out and left Las Noches in search of the first of many colonies, thankful for some kind of distraction from the mystery that was his mind.

He appreciated the fights this time more than the last, and although the violence wasn't nearly as fulfilling as it ever used to be, combat directly followed by combat burned his muscles in a way it seemed he'd nearly forgotten.

A new fire was burning in his chest, and although it felt as if this new flame needed something more to fight for, Grimmjow had to admit it held more strength than he thought possible. Eager to continue testing this strange energy, the Sexta Espada left the third colony in search of the fourth, hoping it would be even more resistant than the last one.

She was being stupid; completely over thinking everything. Just because she'd had one dream about him, and she found it helpful when he turned up at the right time, did not mean Orihime needed him. Sure, it seemed like she was safer with him than without it, but that didn't mean she was safe _from_ him.

The human tried to convince herself that he meant nothing to her, but all she did was reinforce the fact that she meant nothing to him; she was only something he bullied – a chew toy.

_But some part of him worries about you. Why else would he keep helping you?_

Orihime frowned in disgust at the persistence a part of her mind held. Even if a tiny part of him cares, what does that mean about the rest of him? Nothing, that's what. _I don't want a bit of the guy; I don't want even half the man. I want the whole lot if I'm having any!_

She couldn't believe she'd thought that. Surely, she didn't want any of him, right? Orihime paused in the middle of a corridor, leaning against a wall as she gathered her thoughts. She stared sadly at the opposite white wall, searching for answers but, of course, the stone offered as many intelligent responses as her brain did.

He was a Hollow. There wasn't anything more to it than that. Even if a portion of him cared, the entirety of the creature could never care. Orihime wanted desperately to believe otherwise but she knew that no matter what, something without a soul could _never_ love her as she needed.

With that, Inoue recollected herself and wiped her damp cheeks dry. She continued her approach to Aizen's rooms, her feet moving briskly while she carefully watched where she stepped, not wanting to keep the Soul Reaper waiting longer than necessary.


	7. Fear for the Soul

**Disclaimer: As you can tell, I don't own these characters or anything linked to Bleach, please worship Tite Kubo for his brilliant gift, if you don't already do so. And of course, no one would pay me to write this shit!**

A Better Sense of Feeling

Chapter Seven: Fear for the Soul

"Enter," the Shinigami's voice summoned Orihime just as she reached his quarters, evidently sensing her approaching spiritual pressure. Inside, a table and two chairs had been arranged near the double doors to the balcony, and Aizen waited on the other side of the door for Inoue's entrance. The Soul Reaper noticed she was nervous, but knew her worries were not connected to himself. "Please, sit."

Orihime walked towards the quaint coffee table and stools, sitting obediently and waited for Aizen to sit opposite her. Before he did, the man raised a hand to the door to the hallway and Orihime heard the distinct sound of the lock clicking shut. He did the same to the French doors to the veranda and the girl became vaguely aware of being caged.

"Do not be alarmed, I would simply rather not be disturbed." He smiled kindly as he neared the table, pouring two cups of tea from the set that rested on the table before placing himself opposite his prisoner. He lifted his cup and when she did the same, Aizen drank slowly while eyeing Orihime carefully over the rim.

She didn't want to seem impatient and prompt the man, but Orihime was already uncomfortable as it was and she was eager to leave Aizen's chambers as soon as possible. Inoue tried to word her thoughts carefully, but her anxiety stalled her. "Umm, Aizen-sama, what –"

Before she could finish her question, Aizen waved a palm offhandedly, as though brushing away the matter. "I am merely intending to ask of the wellbeing of my guest."

Orihime stared at the base of her tea cup, as though looking for answers in the damp dregs but finding none. "But you summoned me yesterday, Aizen-sama. It's not as if anything is likely to have changed since then." She eventually replied lightly.

"Well, I didn't expect anything to have differed but you barely told me anything then," although his chocolate eyes appeared open and welcoming, Orihime couldn't miss their accusation. She dropped her eyes back to her empty cup, surprised when the Shinigami refilled it, hiding the tea leaves. "You still don't feel like talking?" He asked as he filled his own cup. "Well then, perhaps I shall do all the talking."

Grey eyes suddenly lifted, detecting the slightly threatening tone that laced his voice. Orihime didn't understand what she had done wrong but she suspected that Aizen had not simply called her to his rooms to talk. She felt herself begin to shake as she waited to discover what he wanted with her.

"I've noticed you've been finding yourself getting caught up in some predicaments recently," Aizen commented, watching as her features frowned with confusion. "And yet, here you are, unharmed."

"I don't understand what you're getting at, Aizen-sama," Orihime admitted, unable to hide her fear.

"Well, let me enlighten you," the defective Soul Reaper stood and placed himself directly before Orihime, his intimidating glare trapping her bewildered eyes. "Someone has been paying close attention to you, preventing harm from coming to you. Does that stir your memory?"

The girl shook her head timidly, still not understanding where this was leading. Deciding to approach the subject from a different angle, Aizen paced towards the centre of the room, keeping his back to her as he continued. "Do you have any idea what it takes to control the beings in this fortress?"

"Umm, no, Aizen-sama, I don't," Orihime replied after shaking head even though he couldn't see it. His conversation change didn't help her perplexity and it seemed that his new topic had nothing to do with her. It was as if the Soul Reaper wanted her to admit to a crime but Orihime had no clue as to what offence she'd committed; no amount of pressure could make her confess.

"Barely anything," he answered as he turned his head over his shoulder, smiling kindly. "Especially when you're as persuasive as me." A devious smile told Orihime what he really meant but she didn't think his hypnosis counted as persuasion; however, she decided to keep her opinion to herself.

He returned his stare to the wall, constantly moderating the girl's spiritual pressure for any emotional changes. "Naturally, there are those that require further reinforcement." Feeling her mystification grow, Aizen ploughed on. "I of course speak of those that need to be broken. However, overpowering Arrancars as such is not a trying feat either."

The man turned and closed the distance between him and the human, ignoring the trepidation her silver eyes held. "But, occasionally, one may still resist. May I ask you of your opinion, Orihime?" He watched as she gulped absentmindedly but the girl nodded nonetheless. "How would you go about ruling those who still resisted?"

"Umm, I don't know. I guess some people will always defy authority." Orihime offered, uncertain of the outcome. What did her view point mean to him? Orihime despised not knowing what the Shinigami was thinking behind those deceptively cool eyes.

"An interesting theory," Aizen remarked, bringing his right hand to cup Inoue's cheek carefully. "But this is mine: if the Arrancar can't be controlled, it must be forced. That is ... if it is worth keeping alive." Fear burned in the girl's steel stare and the Shinigami lowered his grip to her chin. "Because, as far as efficiency is concerned, lost causes should be discarded as soon as possible."

Orihime swallowed her freight. "I'm sorry, but I don't see how this involves me."

"Allow me to make it clear to you," he withdrew his hand and Orihime's presence visibly relaxed somewhat. "The Sexta Espada is a valuable asset to my force and has repeatedly proved his worth." Aizen turned his head to the side thoughtfully while the human suddenly realised what he might be getting at. "But his defiance against my control and his disloyalty has created some difficulties."

Orihime looked up as his gaze returned to her and the anger behind his brown eyes terrified her. "Now, your suggestion would have me ignore this and work around it, accepting that he won't change. But my theory, however, will force him to submit. His reiatsu is nothing in comparison to mine, and one way or another, he obeys, eventually." Aizen moved again, this time returning to his seat to pour another cup of tea for both himself and his guest. Neither drank, however, and his russet eyes met her grey pair while she waited. "'Eventually' being the operative word."

Orihime focused her gaze on the white china, refusing to become lost in the pools of chocolate that held such a talent for mesmerizing her. "But –"

"Now, this is the interesting part," Aizen ignored her annunciation, and the Soul Reaper began as he lifted his beverage, smiling as the now silent girl mirrored him. "Without even trying, you seem to have gained control over the very Espada I could never completely command."

Orihime practically choked on her tea in shock and the auburn-haired girl took a minute to recompose herself. "What?" She eventually gasped, flabbergasted beyond reason.

"The Arrancar in question now would do anything to please you and you seem to be at the top of his priorities," Aizen explained levelly but was unable to keep the distaste out of his voice.

"You've made a mistake, Aizen-sama," Orihime spluttered desperately, her shocked eyes widening further as he stood before her again, this time his ominous stance obvious.

"Have I? I don't think so," he retorted calmly before placing the sickeningly sweet smile on his features again. "Once more, I must request your counsel." He paused, allowing Orihime to absorb the strained tension in the atmosphere. "How did you do it?"

She stood in alarm at his demand, her complete confusion clouding her fear. "I didn't do anything."

"You must have done _something_. How else would you been able to achieve something I never could?" His anger was no longer hidden by a false exterior and the fact he showed Orihime his true colours was warning enough. She needed to get away, but her fearful body wouldn't move.

"I hold nothing over him. I don't know what you're talking about!" Orihime tried to leave, enraged at his accusations while scared of his intentions but one strong hand upon her shoulder stopped her.

"No more lies, Inoue," Aizen ordered evenly but she could not relax at all under his calming tone. She didn't notice any changes in the air until she suddenly felt the enormous weight of his spiritual pressure attack her, forcing the girl to her knees before him. She gasped under the pressure and the more she tried to breathe, the harder it seemed to become and the panic in her heart just increased her need for oxygen by the second. The Shinigami raised his hand slightly, bringing it down to strike her cheek sharply as he turned away from her body in disgust.

"Here, my will is the law." It seemed that the full force of his great power surrounded him and his victim, a presence that Orihime immediately related to that of a God's. The girl then realised why so many followed the man before her without complaints: they didn't have the power to resist this.

Another blow to her head left Orihime supporting herself by her hands, coughing blood onto the white marble floor. She tried to stand, but his reiatsu overpowered her every time, crushing her soul relentlessly. It felt like every bone was breaking beneath the force of his presence and when she raised her head to see him slightly flick his hand, she knew that countless really had been crushed.

"Tsubaki," she whispered desperately, sobbing as she did so, uttering her command before he could stop her. "Koten Zanshun, I reject." Because he was fuelled only by Orihime's fear, Tsubaki couldn't utilise the entirety of her offensive powers and when he met the Soul Reaper's dense spiritual pressure, he was easily defeated by Aizen's palm.

"Pathetic," he muttered as he allowed her to stand on damaged legs, only to clutch her neck and lift her from the ground. He pressed his thumb against her throat slowly, gradually squeezing the life out of her. "It would be so easy to drain your very existence from this body. I could snap your neck like nothing more than a twig; or I could simply suffocate you."

She clawed at his hand frantically in a vain attempt to free herself, but Orihime only felt her lungs struggle to draw breath beneath her broken ribs and restricted airways; as her sight dimmed, she knew her blood vessels were giving up on her.

"I will control him, no matter how much he resists," he promised her, his anger tightening his grip. "He will become obedient, but right now, you are the only obstacle preventing me from controlling him."

Orihime couldn't hear his voice, her brain needed more oxygen and her senses were shutting down; she could barely see him talking. But even if his words had been able to register with her conscience, nothing he could have said would have distracted her from her fretful fight to hold onto her life.

By restraining her voice this way, Aizen knew that she couldn't summon any of her Shun Shun Rikka; she was absolutely defenceless and nothing would be able to stop the Shinigami now. He had carefully left some of her bones unbroken, allowing himself to now slowly and manually shatter each fragile one like glass.

He gripped her undamaged arm, easily ceasing her pitiful efforts of escape and simply held her wrist tightly in his grasp, feeling the bones give under his strength as they crumbled against each other. Aizen was unnaturally considerate with the bone in her neck; he didn't want her to die quickly.

The man watched her eyes constantly, waiting for the pleading look that would tell him that she'd given up, but it never came. His palm moved to Orihime's upper arm, abandoning her now limp wrist and hand in search of something else to break. Her silver eyes, tinged red as she asphyxiated slowly in his grasp, still didn't beg for his mercy but only showed her panicked hope as she held onto life.

The girl tried to scream when he dislocated her shoulder, but she still didn't give up, despite how hopeless her situation seemed. If she could just remain conscious long enough, if he discarded her and left her for dead, she'd be able to reverse everything. As long as she kept drawing breath, as long as she forced her heart to keep trying, she still had a chance, no matter how small.

She tried to ignore the overwhelming feelings of pain and the girl searched for anything to focus on. Orihime had no clue why the first and only thing she thought of was the Sexta Espada, but she didn't question it. Now that it crossed her mind, she knew that she would have screamed his name if she could have.

She didn't understand what the Soul Reaper had said earlier, what he'd meant about the connection between Grimmjow and herself, but her desperate mind didn't focus on those misunderstandings as she tried to cling onto life. As Orihime attempted to inhale another breath, she hoped beyond reason that there had been at least some truth in Aizen's words and she felt her soul silently scream for help, a blood curdling cry only one could answer.

The Sixth Espada had lost track of time hours ago, having become completely distracted by the thrill of the kill. He'd also lost count of how many rebellious forces he'd extinguished and Grimmjow was about to move onto the next before he stopped dead in his tracks as he heard a powerful scream, an ear splitting cry of pain destroying every other thought in his mind.

There was a ringing in his head as the fading echo of the pained shriek reverberated in his ears even though nothing around him reacted to such a noise. _What the fuck was that?_ As far as Grimmjow could tell, there had been no sound, but he'd bloody well heard something. It suddenly dawned on him that he'd heard the scream inside his mind and he realised with wide eyes what that meant.

The fire that burnt within him froze and the Sexta believed he'd never felt true fear in comparison to what Pantera now howled with. His chest wanted to rip open and Grimmjow forced himself to turn in the direction of the fortress, before he tore off towards Las Noches so quickly that it surprised him.

The Espada knew that there was only one thing that would bother his Resurrecćion this much which meant that the girl was in serious danger. His Sonido became even faster as he realised just how much that affected him as well and the Sixth found himself in the immediate area of the palace sooner than he thought possible.

He didn't know what part of the fortress that her fading reiatsu had led him to until he recognised the exterior of the Soul Reaper's quarters. He paid no mind to Aizen's flaring spiritual pressure and Grimmjow ignored the balcony and wasted no time as he obliterated the French doors into the chambers.

Grimmjow was practically shaking with anger as he stood in the doorway, having arrived just in time to watch Aizen carelessly drop the human's form from his hold. The Soul Reaper turned to face the intruder, his unaffected smile frustrating the Arrancar further. This was too perfect, he'd offer the Sixth a final chance to obey, but if the blue-haired Espada still defied him, he'd kill him too.

The girl's body lay limp on the floor at the feet of the defective Shinigami and Grimmjow stared, immobilised, when he couldn't pick out her breathing; when he couldn't hear her heart beating; when he couldn't feel that spiritual pressure which had become so important to him.

Without commanding it, Pantera took control and Grimmjow let the anger within encompass him, wanting to cause the man just as much damage as his instincts did. He was going to butcher the Soul Reaper, and he knew that he could.

Maybe it was just his presence, or perhaps her incredible thirst for life, but for one reason or another, Orihime drew breath and opened her eyes in time to see the first of many blows from the Espada against Aizen. It knocked the brown-haired man to the opposing wall but the Sexta flash-stepped before him before he could stand again.

Somehow, the Shinigami was overwhelmed by Grimmjow's Released state but her eyes flew wide in shock as Orihime recognised the only slightly familiar spiritual pressure that used to only belong in a vision. She realised he was so much stronger than he'd ever been, much stronger than any creature she had ever felt before. There was no way Aizen could respond to this amount of force, but his instantly heightened energy tried to nonetheless.

Orihime didn't understand what had caused the Arrancar's reiatsu to increase just as she'd predicted but she didn't have an opportunity to dwell on it. Her weakened soul couldn't withstand the powerful auras around her as they continuously attacked each other, oblivious to their audience, and their combined strengths rendered her unconscious again.


	8. Understanding

**Disclaimer: As you can tell, I don't own these characters or anything linked to Bleach, please worship Tite Kubo for his brilliant gift, if you don't already do so. And of course, no one would pay me to write this shit!**

**This is the final chapter that you've all been waiting for. It's taken some time – what with school work getting in the way and whatnot – but I hope none of you are disappointed. Thanks for all the inspiring reviews; you guys are awesome!**

A Better Sense of Feeling

Chapter Eight: Understanding

Silver eyes opened to a blinding white light and after blinking several times, they adjusted to the surgical lamp that illuminated the room. Orihime could hear the electronic tone that beeped steadily in the background and the clinical smell informed her that she was in a hospital of some description.

Having a greater view of her surroundings, the girl could see the advanced medical equipment circling her and she immediately looked to her arms to see the tubes placed there. After yanking the drips out of her skin, Orihime swung her legs to the side of the cot, tentatively placing her bare feet on the cool stone floor.

"Ah, you're awake now? Good," Orihime jumped as she heard an unfamiliar voice and saw a strange Arrancar approaching her. "You've been asleep for almost ten days now." The man had bright pink hair that reached his chin and a pair of thickly rimmed white glasses that framed his soft golden eyes; without asking, Orihime immediately deduced that this man's spiritual pressure was at an Espada's standard.

"Who are you?" Orihime asked quietly after she had cleared her throat. Her voice sounded parched and it felt as though she hadn't had anything to drink in years. Sensing the girl's discomfort, the pink-haired Arrancar passed her the glass of water that had sat on the bedside table.

"I am Szayel Apporo Grantz, the Eighth Espada. You are in the infirmary, by the way, Orihime." The Espada explained before she could ask her next question. "Apparently, the normal treatment is not good enough for the likes of you so my special expertise was required to treat you."

Orihime frowned at Szayel's mild frustration and found his light and playful presence refreshing. She downed the glass and set it to the side before she continued her attempt to stand.

"No, no," the Octava said as he held the girl's shoulders still, restricting her movements. He gently forced her shocked body to lay back down with her back propped against a stack of pillows. "You need to rest some more, Inoue. You haven't fully recovered yet."

It was only then that Orihime remembered what had put her in the hospital. She began breathing faster and the monitor told her that her heart was accelerating. "What happened?" She eventually asked, not noticing the scientist inject her arm with a weak sedative.

"'What?' indeed; you suffered many injuries, pet; I counted – at most – five bones that _weren't_ broken." The Arrancar took the girl's temperature before he began pressing his thumb and fingers against her arms, systematically checking the bones' progress. He repeated the same procedure on both of her legs and used his fingertips to check her ribs. He nodded approvingly before he continued, "You've made a quick recovery but you still could do with rest." Szayel turned to leave but the girl grabbed onto his sleeve, causing him to face her again.

"Please, what happened? Tell me everything," Orihime begged softly again. The Espada stood motionlessly for a moment before he pulled the nearby chair away from its desk, sitting next to the cot while he ran a hand through his hair.

"Aizen is dead," Szayel declared slowly. The human's eyes widened in absolute shock at his statement and Orihime found nothing to say. "That's exactly what I said," Szayel commented with a smile. She opened and closed her mouth several times but no words came out and eventually, the Arrancar continued, suspecting her question. "It was Grimmjow who killed him."

"How?" Orihime gasped after finally finding her voice. "How?"

"I guess I'd better start from the beginning," the Eighth began, having known the explanation was going to be needed eventually. "What do you understand about an Arrancar and his Resurrecćion?"

Orihime frowned with confusion at his question before replying. "The Resurrecćion is the Released power of an Arrancar's Zanpakutou?" She replied questioningly.

"Correct, but it also holds a more instinctive nature." Szayel explained.

"Does that mean they have different personalities, then? Orihime asked curiously.

"To a certain extent, yes," the scientist replied. "Now, sometimes, the conscience of the Resurrecćion may differ even more. It may think or decide something that the Arrancar does not but the Released mind won't change."

"But if it's just a more instinctive persona, won't the Arrancar think the same, at least to some extent?" Orihime interrupted.

"Exactly; well pointed out, Orihime. The interesting thing is, when the Arrancar and its Resurrecćion finally ... err ... reunite, you could say, they experience an incredible increase in reiatsu and power." Szayel watched the girl quietly as amazement spread over her features.

"Now this doesn't happen often. In fact, besides one main example, all other occurrences of this phenomenon were forced to undergo the transaction." Orihime gave the scientist a cautious look before he continued. "The reason I'm telling you all of this is that this happened to Grimmjow."

"I know, and I knew before it had happened," Orihime confessed quietly. When she was only met with stunned silence, she pressed on. "I mean, I sensed that his spiritual pressure was going to increase remarkably, but I just didn't know how."

"Extraordinary," the Espada observed, looking as though he wanted to question her 'sight' further.

"So how did it happen?" Orihime prompted impatiently.

Szayel eyed the girl carefully, unsure how to broach the subject. He decided to work his way around to it from a different route.

"That mark on your neck, how did it get there?" Orihime reflexively lifted her hand to her neck, feeling the mark that time had made her memorise. The girl looked to the floor and Szayel knew she wouldn't answer him. "I know how you got it, or rather, who gave it to you, and I also know why you haven't been able to reverse it."

Orihime stared at the man in shock. How did he know? "What do you mean?"

Szayel smiled knowingly before he reached to carefully touch the red bruising and indentations. "This is something that cannot be erased, not even by you." He saw the girl's face fall but he gently lifted her chin to look at him. "It is the evidence of his claim upon you."

Orihime sat up suddenly, outraged. "What do you mean his 'claim'? He doesn't own me! I don't belong to anyone!" Szayel hadn't expected her reaction; otherwise he'd have chosen his words with more care.

"What I mean, Orihime, is that this mark ties you to him," the irritation on the girl's features didn't dissipate at all so he added, "And thus, him to you."

"What do you mean?" Orihime asked nervously, her appearance having relaxed somewhat.

"When I said that his Resurrecćion had differed slightly from him, I meant that Grimmjow's more instinctive side, the mind of Pantera," Szayel paused, knowing that the suspense was torturing her, and thought of the best way to say it, "has marked you as his mate."

Inoue sat very still for a few moments, and it was good that she didn't have to think to breathe otherwise she'd have suffocated on the spot. Szayel wondered if it was possible to render a being unconscious without the subject even closing its eyes as nothing seemed to register with the girl.

"His ... mate?" Orihime eventually repeated, her voice dripping with absolute astonishment.

"Yes," Szayel confirmed, wary of the human's state of mind. "But it seemed that Grimmjow was just as shocked as you when he realised what Pantera wanted, what it needed. I imagine he lost quite a few nights' worth of sleep and became pretty confused as to why you were so important to him, not to mention how puzzled he would have been when he realised that his Resurrecćion loved you."

Orihime found it embarrassing when the heart monitor sounded her increased pulse rate at that one word; she couldn't believe it, no matter how much she might want to. "So, is that what happened with Aizen, then? Did ... Pantera ... just lose it because Aizen hurt me?" Orihime asked quietly, hiding her internal worrying. _So a part of him _does _want me._

"Well, Grimmjow lost it too when he thought that you were dead," Szayel commented offhandedly, not knowing what it meant to the girl.

"You mean he felt the same as Pantera?" She asked with hope and shock both laced in her question.

"That's what I've been driving at, Orihime. His spiritual pressure and strength couldn't have increased so much if he hadn't accepted what his Resurrecćion was thinking, if he didn't think the same way." Szayel had barely finished his sentence before Orihime had leapt from the cot and the doors to the infirmary were swinging with her departure.

There was another room between the clinic and the hallways and Grimmjow stood in the middle of it, facing the door as though he had been doing so for days. Orihime noticed his ears twitching slightly after hearing her entrance but he didn't turn around to look at her.

_He loves me, not just Pantera, but all of him loves me._

She approached his back slowly, feeling her heart beat faster and faster with each step, but he still didn't turn to look at her. Orihime could see he had tensed slightly at her proximity but that didn't stop her. She nervously raised a hand and placed it just below his elbow, but he didn't even pull his hands out of his pockets at her touch. She bit her lip tentatively, before she just wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling herself closer to his back and rested her head against his jacket.

He'd accepted what Pantera wanted; that he'd made her his mate, but that only meant that it was going to hurt more when she looked at him with nothing but fear in her eyes. He'd figured that Szayel had told her what he'd done, and he didn't want to turn to see those petrified silver eyes; as long as she was alright then he would finally stop waiting for her to wake up.

Grimmjow didn't know what she was doing when she'd touched his arm almost affectionately and he didn't understand her intentions when she wrapped her arms around him. He remained motionlessly silent, shocked when he felt the girl close the space between them.

She began to shake behind him and the Arrancar turned around immediately, realising she was crying. He lifted her head to look at him but was confused by her completely joyful smile.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Orihime asked in a playful tone as she wiped her cheeks dry. "That you'd marked me as your mate?" She finished when he'd only given her a look of mystification.

"Didn't think ya'd be particularly happy 'bout it," Grimmjow muttered uncertainly.

"You'd be surprised," she pulled herself closer to his body again, this time resting her head against his chest. She smiled when she felt him tentatively wrap his arms around her too, keeping her there.

"You okay? By the time I got ya to Szayel, he said the odds didn't look great," Grimmjow asked, unable to postpone his worry any longer.

"It'll take more than that to kill me," Orihime replied jokingly before adding, "I sometimes reckon that my Shun Shun Rikka can heal my more serious injuries without my command."

He cupped her chin and raised her head to look at him once more. "Never again," the Espada promised her roughly, his voice thick with assurance. "No one's gonna hurt you like that again."

Orihime suddenly understood what Aizen had meant by her being at the top of his priorities and as she realised this, she lifted her hands from his back and placed them on his shoulders, supporting her body as she pulled herself up to kiss him.

It was gentle and innocent at first, but when he held her waist tighter, she kissed him more eagerly. His tongue caressed her lips, begging for entrance and her tongue soon met his in a passionate dance. Her hands progressed to the back of his neck while his moved to hold her hips sensuously and Orihime deepened the kiss, moaning into his mouth whenever their tongues collided.

She pulled away to breathe and as she did, Grimmjow kissed a hungry line down from the corner of her mouth to her throat, licking her heated skin between nipping her gently. When his tongue brushed against the red mark on her neck, she held onto him tighter and couldn't contain her thrilled moan; he repeated the action and she gasped again and when he sucked the spot, he felt her rub her body against his.

Every want that she had felt since that one dream that seemed a lifetime ago now made itself known; she pulled him closer, wanting to feel as much friction as possible, anything to alleviate the ever growing frustration and arousal. When she felt the evidence of his own need rub against her stomach, her excitement doubled and she tilted her head to reclaim his lips in another eager kiss.

He withdrew to meet her heated gaze, both thinking the same thing, before he held her even tighter to his body and flash-stepped to his own rooms, knowing that she couldn't move as fast as he wanted her to. In the background of his mind, Pantera was purring happily.

He pressed her against the door to his room, having become impatient to touch her again and a keen hand crept along her waistline to caress her chest hungrily. Orihime moaned with pleasure when the hand brushed against her breast, cupping the flesh fervently; she brought her hands down from his shoulders to drag them beneath his jacket, loving the feeling of his heated skin beneath her fingers.

She traced the lines of Grimmjow's chest, carefully outlining every crevice while his muscles twitched beneath her touch. He began to unzip her coat while her hands slithered lower and lower down his torso and when his affectionate tongue dropped to her revealed shoulders, she allowed one hand to delve into his hakamas, barely touching his length with feather-light fingertips.

As soon as he felt her hand touch him, the Espada removed a hand from her body in search of the door knob and when her fingers wrapped around his member, he practically pulled the handle off the entrance. He forced the door open and quickly pressed her against the other side, lifting her hips with his own.

Orihime gasped as she felt his arousal press against her own and she wrapped her legs around his hips instinctively. She smirked when she heard his disappointed grown as she withdrew her hand to tug his jacket from his arms, leaving his chiselled chest bare before she reached her hands behind her back, unzipping the white bodice hurriedly.

She blushed under the eager gaze of the Espada but threw her head back in ecstasy when Grimmjow brought his hand up to caress her now naked skin. He cupped an ivory breast while placing teasing kisses on the other before his thumb brushed over the darkened peak, eliciting a pleasured gasp from the human. He brought his mouth to the other nipple and when he teased one with his teeth while pinching the other between his thumb and forefinger, he groaned as she held her legs even tighter against him.

Grimmjow brought both hands back to her hips and returned his mouth to her lips as he carried her away from the door and moved to his originally intended destination. He placed her carefully on his bed before kneeling in between her legs, one hand now running up her thigh beneath the white skirt. She moaned softly as his fingers stroked her inner thigh and when the pads of his fingers brushed against her moist underwear, Orihime bit her lip erotically.

Before she could cause the appendage any more damage, Grimmjow claimed her lips in another steamy kiss, this time slipping his hand beneath the material to find her opening. She accidentally bit his tongue when she felt a single digit enter her body; she could practically feel his grin against her mouth when she gasped with pleasure when his finger found a particularly sensitised spot.

The Espada took the time to kiss down her chest and stomach before he removed her skirt, leaving Orihime just in her panties. She looked down her body to see him pull the material down with his teeth and when she felt his tongue lick against the bundle of nerves, she didn't bother biting her lip and instead moaned his name with ecstasy.

Grimmjow added another finger to her wet core, gently thrusting his digits against her sensitive skin while he licked her clit at a torturously slow pace. Her hands snuck down the bed and found themselves in his hair, clutching tighter whenever he hit a particularly responsive spot. His tongue began to move faster and Orihime couldn't stop herself from pressing herself against him, moaning his name repeatedly until she felt him suck her skin, throwing her off the edge.

Grimmjow didn't try to hide his cocky smirk as he watched her try to catch her breath. He crawled along her body and kissed her gently while she came down from her high, stroking her waist adoringly before he felt the girl return his kiss with a new passion. Orihime wrapped her naked legs around his waist again, pressing her warmth against his arousal, wanting to feel more. She heard him groan into her kiss when she rubbed her core against his obvious erection and she brought her hands down his sides slowly before untying the obi around his hips.

He shed his hakamas quickly and couldn't stop himself from gasping her name when he felt her hand touch him again, stroking him unhurriedly, causing him to close his eyes with pleasure. Orihime raised her hand to his cheek affectionately and blue eyes opened again, meeting her warm gaze. Grimmjow understood the want he saw in the pools of silver, a need mixed with devotion.

He hesitated, uncertainty making him rethink his desires; he didn't want to hurt her, not again.

"I trust you, Grimmjow," Orihime whispered, suspecting his doubt. That was all the confirmation he needed to hear. He entered her body slowly, revelling in the wet tightness that clasped his length but saw no signs of discomfort in the girl's eyes. She held his shoulders as he entered her to the hilt, retreating at an equally leisurely pace while her hands crept to his neck. Orihime pulled him down to kiss her as found a steady rhythm and she moaned her rapture against his tongue, sighing his name and her bliss continuously.

Their lips parted for air and Grimmjow showed her neck the same attention as before, licking and sucking at her pulse point and the mark on her skin affectionately. He gave a low contented purr when he felt her fingers scrape against his head and his hands stroked her skin teasingly until they caressed her breasts again.

He began to move faster, loving the warmth and friction that surrounded him as well as dying to hear more of her moans. She didn't disappoint him and Orihime clutched her legs around his waist tighter as she began to meet his thrusts. She was unable to sustain her rhythm as the growing pleasure overwhelmed her, causing her to pant for breath and gasp with ecstasy over and over again.

Orihime dragged her hands down his sides to grip onto his back, pulling her chest flush against his, desperate to feel his heated skin against hers. She held onto him tighter as she felt the tension build phenomenally and her moans became louder and louder as she neared bliss.

"Hime," he couldn't restrain his pleasured groan when her body tensed around him, squeezing him for all his worth as she approached her climax. Grimmjow lost his rhythm and he thrust into her harder, pushing her to nirvana before meeting her there too, growling against her neck as he came.

He parted their clammy bodies and rolled to her side, grinning when she immediately draped an arm and a leg over him. Grimmjow wrapped both arms around her form; holding her waist protectively and she lifted her head to kiss him softly. He smirked when she fell asleep quickly, resting her head on his shoulder and he rearranged the sheets to cover them both.

He knew this wasn't going to be easy, Las Noches wasn't the best place to be, even with Aizen dead and Gin and Kaname's prompt departures. But he was determined; Grimmjow wasn't going to let anyone hurt her; he wasn't going to lose his Orihime.


End file.
